Following the recent launch of the second version of Samsung’s Chromebook Plus, a new SKU for the device referred to as “SKU_1_Nautilus_LTE” has cropped up on Coreboot’s code review. The “Nautilus” codename is the very same as that used for Samsung’s Chromebook Plus V2 and the inclusion of “LTE” seems to suggest that a mobile connected version is in the works. That’s backed up further by comments in the commit which indicate that the board layout for LTE is significantly changed compared to the more usual Chromebook Plus V2. There are a number of implications which could be drawn from that. At very least, it appears as though Samsung will be getting onboard with the latest trend towards “Always On” configurations for PCs and Chromebooks. That’s a trend only recently kicked off by the introduction of Qualcomm-powered laptops and possible Chrome OS devices. The primary features of those are that the devices can remain connected at all times via a mobile data plan and that they boot up much more quickly in spite of vast improvements to battery life.
The implications may go further than that, however, since it’s not necessarily unlikely that Samsung will be changing the internal components around alongside the new board. With the recent update to its Chromebook Plus V2, Samsung opted to drop the use of its OP1-rated Rockchip 3399 processor in favor of a dual-core two thread Intel Celeron 3965Y piece of silicon. The company also added a second camera to the 360-degree folding device for more photo options. Further commits which show a new version bearing a two core, four thread model may be tied in with this new Samsung Chromebook Plus variation. It’s not possible to discern from that which processor the company might go with but it wouldn’t be altogether surprising to see a change in the Chromebook’s RAM, storage, or display to go with it. The previous model ships with 4GB RAM and 32GB expandable storage, as well as a slightly more conservative display.
In the meantime, the change will likely be a welcome one since Chrome OS devices featuring mobile connectivity are currently a rarity. Connecting to a mobile hotspot is, of course, a possibility but requires more work than it’s often worth and is a significant drain on a smartphone’s battery life.